Fuel economizer



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W.A c. MCKEOWN FUEL ECONOMIZER Filed April l5, 1935 Patented Oct.Y 12, 1937 i i UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE FUEL EcoNoMIzER William C. McKeown, Bualo, N. Y. Application April 15, 1935, serial No. 16,301

1 claim. (01."110-7-75) My invention relates to a fuel economizer for use in connection with boilers or furnaces.

. The primary object of my invention is to provide a device for economizing in the consump- V5 tion of fuel, capable of being attached to or infurnace burning the more expensive grades, such l54 as stove, nut, or egg-size coal.

Another object of myinvention is to provide an attachment for a boiler or furnace whereby pre-heated air is introduced into the combustion chamber at an angle to the travel of the products of combustion within said chamber so that the ascending-gases are intersected by the preheated stream of air and the unconsumed portions ignited thereby. v

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of this kind which is attached directly to the fuel-feed door closing the opening leading to the combustion chamber and introducing v. air therethrough byV admitting the same to said chamber through the usual damper-openings in the door. l I

Another object of my invention is to so construct the device that it can be utilized with equaleffectivene'ss in boilers or furnaces having deep or shallow fuel-feed openings.

Another object of my invention is to provide aV device of this kind which is secured to the -inner side of the door closing the fuel-feed opening leading to the combustion chamber, the device extending inwardly from-the door over the 40 bed of fuel; no cutting or alterations to the door or any portion of the boiler orv furnace being required for the installation of the device.

A further Objectis to provide a`device which will at allrtimes supply a constant flow of preheated air to the combustion chamber directly over the bed of fuel; the device being so constructed that the air will travel therethrough along a course many times the length of thei device itself.- Y

A further object is to provide a device which will admit air from the exterior of the boiler or furnace, pre-heat the same, and cause the pre-heated air to travel or be ejected from a head or nozzle provided on the device in a flat or horizontal curtain covering an area at least one-half the surface of the fuel-bed and assuring a thorough mixing of the pre-heated air with the ascending gases of the fuel-bed, thereby effecting an appreciable saving in fuel.

A still further object Aof my invention is to provide a device of this kind in which a casing or housing is positioned directly over the fuel-bed and subjected tothe heat from the fuel, the cas- Y ing or housing being provided with a flat nose having a slot disposed preferablyv in a horizontal l5() direction with the slot at a high point compared Vto the'inlet for the air to said casing or nous-i.

ing and the intervening space formed into a circuitous passage with a natural tendency of the air as it becomes heated rising from the inlet l5 to the eXit in its course along said circuitous passage. 1

With the above and other objects to appear hereinafter, my invention consists in a fuel-economizer attached directly to the door of the fuel- 20 feed opening of a boiler or furnace.

It also consists in providing a casing or housing positioned directly over the bed of fuel and having a circuitous air-passage therethrough with an inlet for the air at a low lpoint leading 25 to said passage and an exit for the air after passing through said passage, the air being heated in its course through said passage and beingejec'ted in a flat horizontal stream or curtain at an angle to the gases ascending from 3()V the bed of fuel.

It further lconsists inV the novel features of construction and in the arrangement and cornbination of parts to be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the subjoined 35 claim.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a Vhot-air furnace showing the door of the fuelfeed opening leading to the combustion chamber of the furnace in open position and my improved 21'0 fuel-economizer attached to the inner side of the door.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through a portion of the furnace taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking in the directionV of the arrow 45 crossing said line, and showing the door of the fuel-feed opening closed.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on or about line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is' a detached perspective view of the 50 air-chamber forming a partV of Amy improved fuel-economizer.

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective View of the fuel-economizer proper, which may in some instances be attached directly to the door of the 55 fuel-feed opening, while in other instances it will be attached to the air-chamber shown in Fig. 4, which may vary in depth according to the depth of the fuel-feed opening.

In the drawing, I have shown my fuel-economizer applied to a hot-air furnace, but the mode of applying the saine does not vary when utilized in connection with a steam or hot-water boiler.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral G designates the usual castiron front of a hot-air furnace, which is cast with or has attached thereto the usual inner casing of a furnace; and 'I designates the outer casing which is separated from the inner casing by an intervening space in a manner commonly understood. This intervening space serves as the airheating space and leads to a space above the dome of the inner casing, to which one or more hot-air tubes i3 are connected. It will also be understood that a suitable smoke-pipe 9 leads from the interior of the inner casing above the fuel-bed and that suitable dampers are provided in the smoke-pipe and hot-air tubes.

As is common in furnace or boiler constructions, a clean-out opening is provided which is closed by a door Iii, and it is also provided near its lower end with a door-opening II leadingr to the ash-pit of the furnace, which is closed by a door I2.

The cast-iron front S is also provided with the usual fuel-feed opening I 3 which is closed by a door Iii. This fuel-feed opening may vary in depth, depending on the nature of the furnace; a hot-air furnace having usually a, fuel-feed opening of greater depth than a steam or hotwater boiler or heater, and the depths of the fuel-feed openings vary somewhat in different makes of hot-air furnaces. As is common in furnaces and boiler or heater constructions, the door I4 is provided with air-inlet openings I5 arranged for co-operation with a damper I6 to regulate the amount of air admitted to the combustion chamber. In the drawing I have 4shown the horizontally-sliding form of damper provided with openings I'! adapted to register with the air-inlet openings l5 in the door Id, or to partly or entirely close said openings, depending on the amount of air desired. Applied to the door Iii is the usual perforated plate I8 through the perforations of which air is directed into the combustion chamber after passing through the openings I5 and I1, this plate being separated from the front of the door by an intervening air space I9.

The parts thus far described are common to hot-air furnaces and boilers or heaters, but regardless of the construction of the furnace or boiler or heater, a fuel-feed opening invariably leads to the combustion chamber and this is closed by a door provided with some form of damper-mechanism enabling the regulation of the iiow of air through the door to the bed of fuel within the combustion chamber. The air, however directed into the combustion chamber, upon opening the damper is comparatively cold and ineffective except to supply the necessary oxygen for maintaining the fire when checked, although the door equipped with such damper is invariably quite hot and radiates considerable heat where it is not required.

My improved fuel-economizer comprises two main parts 2@ and 2l which I term, respectively, an air-chamber and hollow head. The air-chamber 2G is best shown in Fig. 4 and comprises a box-like structure having an open front adapted to be closed by the perforated-plate I8, against which it is set and secured by means of bolts 22 passed through the door of the furnace and through bifurcated lugs 23 extending laterally from the end walls of the air-chamber. The inner wall of this air chamber or box-like structure is provided centrally between its ends and adjacent the bottom wall with an air-opening 24 which serves as the air-outlet of this air-chamber, the perforations in the perforated plate I8 serving as air-inlets for the chamber. The air chamber is comparatively Wide and high and therefore covers an area of the perforated plate I8 having a large number of perforations. The bolts 22 are substituted for those usually employed to fasten the perforated plate I8 to the front of the door I4. They are however longer, since they serve to fasten the air-chamber 20 to the perforated plate while fastening the latter in place. Usually the perforated plate is provided with openings along regions which remain uncovered by the air-chamber 2t, and these are to be filled with iire clay or some other suitable refractory filling material so that no cold air will enter the combustion chamber from the air space i9 of the door.

In the drawing I have shown a perforated plate in which the perforations are formed only in the region covered by the air-chamber 20. In such cases, this perforated plate can be made especially for use in connection with my fuela economizers, and either perforations, slots, or other openings may be formed in this region, or a single opening provided, as may be desired. It may, however, be more economical to attach the air-chamber or box-like structure 2U to the perforated plate I8 forming part of the original furnace, and it is a simple matter to fill up such perforations as are not covered by the air-chamber. In either case, this air-chamber covers a considerable area of the plate I 8 and consequently shields the door Ill from heat, which results in a considerable saving of fuel. Moreover, when applying the air-chamber to a used furnace and utilizing a perforated plate on the door thereof as a support for the air chamber, the larger the air chamber is made the less the number of perforations in the plate that will have to be filled, which also results in considerable saving of material and labor in the application of the device to the furnace.

The hollow head 2| of my device is in the nature of a casing or housing of somewhat triangular formation as viewed from the side. It is comparatively narrow and comprises a top wall 25, side walls Z6, and an inclined or obliquely trending combined rear and bottom wall 21, preferably of ogee contour; the greatest height of.

this head being at the front and from this point it is reduced in height toward its rear end, where its side walls are bulged outwardly and its top and bottom walls widened to form a laterallyextended nose 28, which is to be considered as a' part or member of the hollow head. This nose' is somewhat wider than the body portion 29 of the head and the edge wall thereof is curved and provided with a horizontal slit 3U extending pref' erably through a region of at least degrees. By making the hollow head comparatively narrower than the air-chamber to which it is se cured, it will not come in contact with a side wall of the fuel-feed opening when opening the door III. If, however, this hollow head were made as wide as the air-chamber ZI), a hinged connection would be necessary between the two in order to permit of opening the door, which in course of time would fail to operate freely under action' of the heat applied thereto, and no advantage' would result from such an arrangement. 1

" This hollow head is provided internally with horizontally-disposed partitions 3|, 32, the par titions 3| extending forwardly from the inclined or ogee wall 2 and terminating short of the open front end 33 of the head and the parti` tions 32 extending rearwardly from the open front end 33 of this head and terminating short of the inclined or ogee wall 2l. The partitions 3| are spaced from the partitions 32 but are in overlapping relation thereto so that a circuitous passage 34 is formed through the head, several times the length of the latter; the passage so' formed having progressively higher passage regions which are progressively'lengthenedV and which assure maximum heating of the air in its travelback and forth-while ascending to the slit 3Q or escape opening for the pre-heated air. The lower end of this passage, which terminates beneath the front end of the lowermost partition 32, registers with the opening 24 in the air-chamber and the upper end terminates within the nose 28. 'It is therefore to be noted that by disposing the partitions horizontally and giving the air entering the head a natural upward trend i without compelling the same to travel in a downward direction along any portion of its course, the air is not only subjected to the heat applied to the exterior wall of the hollow head but also to the heat transferred to said partitions with v out compelling it to travel counter to its natural course.

This hollow head rests against the rear wall of the air-chamber 2i! and is secured thereto by means of bolts 35V passed through bifurcated lugs 36 extending laterally from the side walls of the f hollow head and through bolt-holes 3'! in the rear wall of the air-chamber; suitable nuts (not shown) being applied to the bolts Within the airchamber to secure the bolts in place.

It will be apparent that by arranging the horizontal slit 30 in the nose of the device as described, the pre-heated air will be distributed over the major portion of the surface of the bed of fuel within the combustion chamber, and I prefer to make the walls of the head comparatively thick so that when once heated they will retain the heat and assure a thorough pre-heating of the air passing through Ythe circuitous passage therein. The nose 28l ofthe air-preheating head, as it may be termed, may be enlarged and given various forms, so that the air-escape slit 30 therein will trend along a region of considerably more than 180 degrees, if desired. This, however, is a matter of detail and may be varied,

as occasion may demand.

It will also be apparent that,` depending on the depth of the fuel-feed opening, the air-'chamber may be diminished or decreased in depth and that in some instances the air-chamber may be `dispensed with and the air-preheating head applied directly to the door closing the fuel-feed opening.

Under the valternate arrangements set out herein I am enabled to attach my fuel-economizer to any style or pattern of furnace or boiler door,

and the manner of attaching the same enables me to utilize the regular air-inlet on the furnace or boiler door provided by the manufacturer of the furnace or boiler.

My improved device enables me, furthermore, to provide at all times a constant supply of preheated air over the fuel-bed; It frequently occurs that the operator of a furnace orboiler closes the damper in the smoke-pipe, which greatly reduces or eliminates draft in the combustion chamber; but owing to the construction of the air-preheat- Ying head a constant flow of heated air is assured,

even under such conditions, for the reason that Y i supplying pre-heated air over the bed of fuel, and

particularly in a manner to intersect the rising gases, Causes complete Consumption of the gases, and in leaky furnaces which previously allowed vgases to enter the hot-air space within the furnace and caused its delivery to the rooms mingled with the heated air, the application of this device has completely eliminated the delivery of gases or gas odors to the rooms.

While I have shown my invention applied directly to the door closing the fuel-feed opening, it will be understood that the device may be applied to the fixed wall of the combustion chamber, but this would necessitate the forming of an opening through both the outer casing of the furnace and the wall of the combustion chamber in order to introduce air to the air-preheating head, which would result in expense and the employment of considerable labor. Such an arrangement would therefore only be suitable for use in connection with new boilers or furnaces, whereas the application of the device to the door of the fuel-feed opening enables its ready installation to any old type of furnace or boiler without the use of experienced workmen.

Where, in the claim, the term wall of the combustion chamber is referred to, it is my intention to include in this term the door which closes the fuel-feed opening of the boiler or furnace, since it in reality is a movable part of the wall of the combustion chamber, even though in some instances it is more distant from the vertical center or axis of the combustion chamber than other portions of the wall.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

In a boiler or furnace having a combustion chamber, a fuel-feed opening leading thereto and a door for closing said fuel-feed opening, the combination of a box-like air-chamber having its outer side open and being otherwise closed by Wall, side walls, and a combined rear and bottom,- x

wall'trending in an oblique direction, partitions in said head extending from the open frontftherewof inwardly and spaced from the said obliquelytrending combined inner and bottom Wall,

other partitions within said head extending out wardlyfrom said last-mentioned wall and terminating short of the open front of said head, said last-mentioned partitions being spaced from said rst-mentioned partitions to form a circuitous passage Within said head opening at its lower end into said air-chamber through the opening in the inner Wall thereof and terminating at a high point in the angle formed by said upper and obliquely-trending combined inner and bottom Walls, said head having an opening for the escape of pre-heated air at said angle to direct preheated air over the bed of fuel at an angle to the gases ascending therefrom.

WILLIAM C. MCKEOWN. 

